Taking into account all the shenanigans (and there have been a lot of them), since 1993 winning the Royal Rumble granted you a title match at that year's Wrestlemania. Of all the eligible winners, historically speaking the vast majority (13 out of 21) have went on to win a version of the WWE title at the Wrestlemania main event, so this match is incredibly important in shaping the face of the business each year.

However, the very recent past has seen some controversial decisions to say the least. In 2010 Edge won the Royal Rumble but was defeated by Chris Jericho in a match that was nowhere near the main event. 2011 saw Alberto Del Rio win the only 40 man Royal Rumble only to appear on the opening contest of Wrestlemania, in a defeat to Edge.

By the time 2012 rolled around the WWE decided to really test its audience's patience by having Rumble winner Sheamus get his title shot on what was once again the opening match. This "match" lasted the whole of 18 seconds before Sheamus laid out Daniel Bryan. At least this time the Rumble winner got some gold, but the match was seen as a complete lack of respect for the talents of Bryan and inadvertently started his meteoric rise that got us to the 2014 Royal Rumble (more on that in a moment).

Picture: that match in full. Yeah.

By 2013, CM Punk was the WWE Champion and had managed to hold onto the belt for 434, the longest reign since the early 1980s and a feat I personally don't think we will see repeated. However, at the 2013 main event, CM Punk lost his title to the returning Rock. John Cena went on to win the Royal Rumble, setting up The Rock vs John Cena at Wrestlemania 29. This would be the third time a Wrestlemania would be dominated by these two men, with many fans irked by this, seeing The Rock as a part-time player and John Cena as transcending the WWE title anyway. No-one was more irked than CM Punk, whose only desire in wrestling by that point was to headline a Wrestlemania. In fact, after putting in a great performance at the 2014 Rumble (lasting longer than anyone else and only being eliminated when Kane, who was already out of the match, returned to put him out) CM Punk walked away from the WWE altogether.

One of the reasons for his decision was due to the eventual 2014 winner, Batista. By this point in time, the crowd had firmly got behind Daniel Bryan, who had transformed from an entirely unlikable character who screamed No at the fans and bullied his girlfriend, to a comedy act not dissimilar to Mick Foley at his peak, into the most over star I have seen since Stone Cold Steve Austin. Everyone hoped Daniel would win the Royal Rumble, but at the very least we all expected him to at least enter. When fan favourite Rey Mysterio came out at number 30, the crowd turned nasty, booing him initially then focusing all their tirade on Batista who was unfairly seen as just another former wrestler-turned-actor who was only here for the Wrestlemania payday.

Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors, and a large part of the appeal of wrestling is never knowing what was part of the plan and what we the fans can influence, but the end result saw Daniel Bryan given a chance to get into the main event by first defeating Triple H, then eventually winning the WWE World Heavyweight championship by overcoming both Randy Orton and Batista in a triple threat. A great story for fans of the underdog, but once again showing the Royal Rumble winner getting the short end of the stick.

Sorry Batista, but it was totally worth it

So that brings us up to speed to 2015. I'm not going to lie, the WWE product has really went downhill in my eyes, but I am going to be staying up to watch this one. As I covered previously, the Royal Rumble is the gateway show that gets lapsed fans back into the product in time for Wrestlemania.

What we have on the card right now is mostly a handful of tag matches. I predict that The New Day will emerge victorious on the pre-show, but I genuinely love Tyson Kidd and Cesaro and would love to see them prevail despite their current association with Adam Rose. We've got The New Age Outlaws vs The Ascension and I can only hope The Ascension come out strong, ditch the Legion Of Doom connotations, and just get back to kicking ass. Finally Paige and Natalya take on The Bella Twins and I can only hope Paige and Natalya get enough time to produce some of that fantastic wrestling they are actually so good at. If there are submission holds aplenty, it could be a great showcase of women's wrestling on the second biggest stage of them all, so here's hoping.

On to the title matches. The tag team champions, The Usos, will be up against The Miz and Mizdow. While I would love to see Mizdow get more time in the spotlight as champion, I feel the end is near for this team and a loss here would set plans in motion for a grudge fight at Wrestlemania. The WWE World Heavyweight title will be defended by Brock Lesnar, a man who has more or less managed to avoid the 'part-timer' accusation levied against The Rock and Batista in recent years, despite winning the title then disappearing from TV. He faces John Cena and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match and here is one of those lovely moments where I simply can't decide what is going to happen, so I will come back to it in a moment.

The Royal Rumble itself really only has two possible outcomes - Daniel Bryan or Roman Reigns. Daniel Bryan, after winning the title at Wrestlemania XXX, suffered a series of neck injuries and had to vacate his title to recuperate. He never lost the belt(s), he was insanely popular at the time and he is back. To me it makes all the sense in the world to essentially reset the clock a year and do things right this time. Give Daniel Bryan the Royal Rumble victory he deserved in 2014 and see him go to Wrestlemania to take on the Beast incarnate, Brock Lesnar, the WWE champion and defeater of the Undertaker's Wrestlemania winning streak. Win back the belt, inherit the acclaim from beating the man who ended The Streak, and see Daniel Bryan catapulted into the stratosphere.

On the other hand, you have Roman Reigns. There are pros and cons behind Roman. On the pro side, he was part of The Shield, the greatest new product in wrestling for a long time. On the con side, you could say that his two teammates covered up any cracks in his overall package. On the pro side, he has the look and his moveset is strong if not overly technical. On the con side, isn't that why most people slate Cena? One more pro, the crowd have shown they can get behind him. On the con, his reaction at last year's Royal Rumble came about more due to the hatred for Batista and he has proven shaky on the mic since then.

He is the gamble, while Daniel Bryan is the proven thing. But to me, the gamble is often more exciting. If Roman Reigns won at the Royal Rumble, I would rather see Seth Rollins leave as the champion than anyone else. Reigns defeating Brock Lesnar, with the iconic stigma of being the man who defeated The Streak, is simply too much for me to suspend my disbelief. Reigns vs John Cena, while being passable, does not inspire me as a Wrestlemania main event. Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins, with Dean Ambrose no doubt in the mix somehow (bring back the Special Guest referee I say) represents the future and could be a really fresh main event for Wrestlemania.

With all that said, in my heart of hearts, I can see John Cena as the champion taking on Roman Reigns as the Royal Rumble winner at Wrestlemania. While it isn't my favourite outcome, I would accept it if it meant the Royal Rumble actually meaning something again. With the various WWE titles merging once again to one belt I am simply looking forward to a full time wrestler getting a shot at the biggest title in the world on the biggest stage of them all.

On to ICW, with their 4th annual Square Go event. This match is much like the Royal Rumble - 30 men enter with a certain time lapse between them, eliminations are over-the-top-rope style and the winner gets a shot at the ICW Heavyweight champion at a time of his choosing within the next year. The difference here, in keeping with the "insane" aspect of Insane Championship Wrestling, is that 5 random competitors enter with a weapon.

In the past, weapons have taken the form of a rubber chicken, a dildo, a flying carpet and other such items in amongst the more traditionally painful fare such as a steel chair or kendo stick.

Before we get into the 2015 Square Go itself, lets talk a little about the ones that have come before it. The first event in 2012 saw Red Lightning emerge victorious. He then waited until champion BT Gunn had made a tough defence against Lionheart before cashing in his title shot, stealing the title away. The next year, Mikey Whiplash entered the Square Go as the 30th entrant, armed with a barbed wire bat, and eliminated rival Jack Jester to win the bout. He cashed in his title shot in May of 2013 and won the strap from Red Lightning, holding onto it until Fear & Loathing VI where he lost to Jack Jester in an emotional and bloody battle.

The third annual Square Go saw Jack Jester defending his title against international star Prince Fergal Devitt. The Square Go itself saw Grado survive only for Chris Renfrew, who had earlier been eliminated, sneak back in and throw Grado out. As no official actually saw Renfrew's elimination, he was declared the victor.

2014 Square Go winner - Chris Renfrew

Renfrew, armed with his briefcase signifying his title shot, wreaked havoc on Jack Jester for the better part of a year. Everywhere Jester went, Renfrew seemed to be, attacking the champion and waving the ever more damaged briefcase over his often lifeless body. But to win the belt in such a manner was not Chris Renfrew's plan. He wanted to torture Jack Jester, break him mentally and spiritually before taking the belt physically from him. That plan seemed to come to a head at Shug's Hoose Party,

Having successfully taken out Wolfgang and The Bucky Boys, and with Grado spent from his earlier bout against Johnny Moss, Chris Renfrew sensed it was time and made to cash-in his title shot. But then Drew Galloway appeared, the first ever ICW champion, back from over 7 years in WWE. Drew saved his friend Jester from the attack, only to turn around and attack Jack himself! You can read more here.

This built up to Fear & Loathing VII at the sold out Barrowlands venue, ICW's largest ever crowd and subject of the recent BBC documentary "Insane Fight Club" (actually the second Insane Fight Club, the first one centering around Jester v Whiplash at Fear & Loathing VI). On that night, Drew Galloway regained the ICW Heavyweight title and became the new focus of Chris Renfrew's ire.

Claiming that he represents Scotland while Drew Galloway is nothing more than a visitor passing through, Chris Renfrew set a date for his title shot - the fourth annual Square Go. Drew for his part claims he is what is needed to elevate ICW even higher than its current level, bringing worldwide attention to the company that is already arguably the best in the UK. Chris Renfrew counters that it is wrestlers like him that got ICW to that level without Drew's help. For more from both these guys, I'd recommend heading over to Snapmare Necks where you will find interviews from both.

The great thing is - both men have valid points. ICW has grown phenomenally in the over two years I have been going and it is thanks to men like Chris Renfrew, while Drew Galloway does bring a lot of attention to Scotland and is on the road to defend the title in five countries, making it an official "World" title. No matter who wins, in my opinion the future is extremely bright, but I personally am going to be backing Chris Renfrew. I've had my differences with him and the actions of the New Age Kliq group he is a part of but it cannot be denied that he has made every show an exciting one in 2014 and to put it simply he deserves the title. What he does with it afterwards is slightly worrying, but it is a situation I would pay money to see.

Drew Galloway vs Chris Renfrew is in no way the only contender for main event on the night. We also have the Steel Cage match which could potentially put an end to the feud between Renfrew's NAK brethren BT Gunn and BT's cousin Wolfgang. What started as such a personal feud between a man representing ICW and a man intent on destroying it has evolved through fighting in the streets, being thrown off of insane heights, tying a chain to each other's necks and trying to knock each other out in a Last Man Standing match at Fear & Loathing VII which resulted in neither man being able to meet the 10 count.

This feud has dragged both men, and much of the audience, through utter hell. Outwith all of the no contests (and that one time he backed up Grado and technically got a tag team victory out of it), BT Gunn has had Wolfgang's number, racking up seven victories over the fan favourite in either singles or tag competitions since Fear & Loathing VI.

Could this be BT Gunn's day of reckoning? Will Wolfgang finally get a victory over his cousin and put an end to all this violent madness? Who knows. I for one hope that, with the steel cage preventing anyone else from getting involved, a resolution is set in stone at the end of this match. I have heard predictions that BT will succeed in opening Wolfgang's eyes and turning him on to the NAK way of life, equally I've heard predictions that BT Gunn will turn his back on the group he created and join Wolfgang in the ICW ranks. I don't personally see either situation occurring - I believe Wolfgang will win, the two will shake hands and go their own ways, never to cross paths in the ICW/NAK war again.

Another Square Go tradition is the Iron Man match. Although missing from the first event, this 30 minute contest was first won by James Scott in 2013, besting Wolfgang 3 falls to 2. At last year's event, Joe Coffey barely got the best of James Scott by winning it 2 falls to 1 in extra time. That added fuel to an already red hot feud and provided Joe with another aspect to his character that connected greatly with the crowd, often coming to the ring made up like various Marvel characters.

This year, Joe Coffey has issued an open challenge to defend his Iron Man credentials. Given that Coffey has won ICW's Wrestler Of The Year award and thus will get a title match at ICW's return to the Barrowlands this year, I cannot see past Joe Coffey winning, however there are several great theories as to who his challenger will be. Mikey Whiplash is a fantastic shout, easily the most technically sound wrestlers in my opinion and a man who is both exciting and very capable of putting on the greatest of matches, his recent bout against James Scott was one of my highlights of 2014. Another guy I would love to see is Jack Gallagher, who put on a great showing against Joe Coffey back at Shug's House Party. Although more of a bruiser type, for some reason I am seeing Rampage Brown vs Joe Coffey in my mind and can't shake that image. How they would piece together a 30 minute, enthralling battle only adds to the intrigue for me.

Any of those three, and a plethora of others, would be fantastic but I think Mikey Whiplash could potentially bring the best out of the match.

On now to the Square Go itself. Who will follow in the footsteps of Red Lightning, Mikey Whiplash and Chris Renfrew? The only entrant we know for sure is Nathan Black, the scary man who won an 8 man rumble at the up-and-comers show Spacebaws to earn the right to compete. There are high hopes for Mark Coffey, the current ICW Tag Team champion who had an extraordinary run as the Zero G champion in 2013 and 2014. Seen as the Real ICW champion by many (he defeated Mikey Whiplash when Mikey held both the Zero G and Heavyweight belts, but it was only for the Zero G title), his run as Zero G champion saw him fend off all challengers except Fergal Devitt (a loss he avenged in decisive fashion) and eventual new champion Kenny Williams. He is definitely a favourite in this bout.

High up on the list also are the NAK. If James Scott (now Darkside) weren't currently injured, he would be in contention. The crowd are high on Dickie Divers at the moment and if BT Gunn survives the cage match (or it hasn't occurred yet) he can't be counted out, and there are even some who think that the title match will be on early, Chris Renfrew will be defeated but then go on to win the Square Go and challenge Drew once again. I personally have a soft spot for Chris Renfrew winning the belt and either Divers or BT winning the Square Go, setting up some interesting dynamics.

Outside of that lot, it is really a wide open field. I've heard a lot of people picking Mikey Whiplash as their favourite, but with his new allegiance in the Sumerian Death Squad I am more excited to see him in tag action going forward.

With that being the top five, I'd also propose that last year's runner up (or winner in many people's eyes) Grado has a chance to avenge himself. Noam Dar has also been claiming his stake of being a true main event player and is a proven talent in all types of matches, as well as coming across strong on TNA's British Bootcamp last year. Finally, there is always scope for Jack Jester to win it and launch himself right back at the throats of either Drew Galloway or Chris Renfrew. Besides one of the NAK, that is the outcome I personally am hoping for. As Jester said at the end of the Insane Fight Club documentary, losing the ICW title shouldn't put him out of contention, only give him more reason to win it back.

I wouldn't be counting him out yet

Now that you've heard my thoughts on both the Royal Rumble and the Square Go, I'm going to turn you over to some other fans and let you hear what they have to say. I hope you enjoyed my lookback on the Battles Royal of the past. It was impossible to include every major match in history, but if you feel there are any glaring omissions, please tell me all about it on Twitter, Facebook or email to AWBAblog@gmail.com . Finally, if this preview has got you a bit excited about the Square Go but you are either too far away to attend or simply don't have a ticket (it's sold out now), head over to InsaneWrestling.co.uk to find out about the ICW Network. For a small monthly fee, you get access to all these great events and many more, often within 24 hours of the event taking place. Once again, thanks for reading.

I'm going to my first Wrestlemania this year after being a fan since WM6. As we know, the results of the Royal Rumble generally begin shaping the card so I'm very interested.

This will also be my first ever live Square Go and every match announced is great. This really shows the depth of talent in ICW.

I personally love a battle royal/royal rumble where the whole match has a thread of storyline or rivalries through it. For example, when entrants 1 and 2 are sworn enemies or a tag team. Royal Rumble 2000 stands out as having lots of interconnected segments.

So onto my actual Royal Rumble prediction. I have to go with my heart and say Daniel Bryan. I can accept Roman Reigns more than most. Dean Ambrose would be a great wild card.

The Royal Rumble has been my favourite Pay-Per-View ever since I was 4 years old! This year we we have 10 confirmed superstars so far, who I want to win deep down in my heart is the man of the moment Dean Ambrose, but I think Roman Reigns will be this years winner.

The concept of the Battle Royal has always been far from my favourite as a wrestling fan. Especially over the years, the mystique surrounding battle royals has somewhat been quelled by certain wrestlers gaining marked momentum leading up to the matches. Nine times out of ten these give good indicators as to who will come out victorious. Surprise entrants from legends and returning stars tend to add some drama to the matches, but ultimately, there's always a part of your mind that can confidently say "so and so is a certainty to win it". Taking that into account, the clear favourite to win the Royal Rumble this year is Roman Reigns. The seeds were planted with a dominant display in last year's event, which saw him break the record for number of eliminations in one Rumble match, only to fall short to Batista. Since then, I think it's been stuck in the minds of fans that he'll be a shoe-in for this year. The demise of The Shield, which has saw Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose both look like the stars that they are ever since, has also shown Reigns to been somewhat of a slow-burner. His injury put clear spanners in the works to build him as the second top face in the company below Cena. Because of this, his return has meant that all the build that was supposed to go into Reigns has been condensed into a rather short time period. His mic work hasn't improved greatly, although there are signs that it's developing all the time. His in-ring work, slated by many, has looked better than ever in my eyes, and he put on a quality match with Luke Harper just very recently on RAW. There is no doubt that Reigns has the make up of a mega-star, and it's clear that his meteoric push is on a collision course with Royal Rumble success. One must wonder if this may come too soon for the still green-as-grass Reigns, but prediction wise, he must be top of the list.

On the flip side of the Royal Rumble, is the 4th Annual Square Go from ICW. Unlike the Rumble, there is an air of uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the match, and is more likely to leave you shocked with the end result. Last year saw the ultimate underdog Grado seemingly win the match fair and square, only to be eliminated by Chris Renfrew before any official could notice. Anything is possible in ICW, and that's what makes a match like the Square Go all the more unpredictable. A man with a fantastic shout is BT Gunn, who was one of the most consistent performers in the world in 2014, putting on MOTY contenders in both single and tag team competition. With his NAK brother Renfrew challenging for the Heavyweight Championship on the same night, BT Gunn winning the right to a match whenever he wants would make for a seriously interesting situation. My personal pick for the match, however, is Mark Coffey. After his almost perfect lengthy run as ICW Zero-G champion (with only a Fergal Devitt sized roadblock), Mark has been on the cusp of main event status in ICW for a while. A true passing of the torch moment occurred at the first Spacebaws event, where Kenny Williams pulled off the biggest win of his career when winning the title from Mark, and has gone on to be a fighting champion on his own right. That was seen as the moment that Mark Coffey would break the barrier, and is now the current tag team champion alongside Polo Promotions head man Jackie Polo. With the other two titles under wraps in 2014, this year can only get better for Mark Coffey, and a win in the Square Go, followed by a crack at the Heavyweight championship, may just be the ticket for the Real Deal.

Royal Rumble - I predict Roman Reigns will win. I personally think he's not getting over as they would like but it seems set in stone. Personally I would like to see Bryan vs Lesnar at Wrestlemania, for the title or not so I'd book Cena to pin Rollins, Lesnar to go berserk and attack Cena, Bryan saves Cena, Rollins cashes in on Cena and wins.

I'd then have Lesnar come out and batter Bryan out of the Rumble. Reigns to win the Rumble and that way you have a double main event and the crowd will be happy to see Bryan in a big programme. But that's fantasy booking. My ideal would actually be a Shield three way for the title, but hey.

ICW Square Go - I think Chris Renfrew will win the ICW title and the Iron Man challenge may steal the show!

I always loved Battle Royals all the way back to Wrestlemanias 2 and 4 and the famous one won by the British Bulldog at the Royal Albert Hall. But of course the most memorable would have to be the Royal Rumble matches and one of my favourite matches of all time is the 'Ric Flair Rumble' of 1992, WWE had no other way of letting him be the sixty minute man and so this was the perfect showcase and with Bobby Heenan producing the greatest commentary of all time over the top of it I was blown away. It's one of the things that made me a fan for life.

Hm, Battle Royals. Very oddly, I tend to dislike Battle Royals while I really enjoy the Royal Rumble format (that is, one wrestler added to the match every couple of minutes). I guess that's because each one of them has time for a wee entrance and a "welcome". Anyway, my favourite WWE PPV is the Royal Rumble, so...

Also, the first Square Go was my first ICW show, after having managed to persuade a guy from work to go with me. Of course, then I became addicted straight away, also thanks to the tall guy standing next to me who told me - or rather, yelled in my ears - who each participant was (hi Magika) and I started going to the shows by myself. Or rather, with everyone in the Asylum.

Now, to the predictions.

The WWE seems to be pretty much telling us that the winner of the Rumble will be either Roman Reigns (whom I find totally boring) or Daniel Bryan (incidentally one of my favourite wrestlers ever). Now, I think that it'd be too obvious. Bryan will be taken out somehow by the Authority, and Reigns... well, Reigns too, somehow, either during the Rumble itself or beforehand. Sheamus might be returning soon, and rumours have that he'll be a heel... but he already won the Rumble once, and his star power is not so huge to make me believe that the WWE will give him a second win. So, I'll go with another guy I really like, someone who also just came back: BAD NEWS BARRETT.

On to the ICW Square Go. That's huge. The first name that popped in my head is the new, revamped, even creepier Mikey Whiplash. Sure, he already won the whole thing and held the title, but his reign was short (although sweet). Joe Coffey would also be a great winner, but he'll already be in an Iron Man match from which, like last year, he might come out tired and/or carrying some bump too many. If I didn't know that he'll be busy defending his PROGRESS title in London, I might suggest Jimmy Havoc, with his new, nastier-than-ever attitude (can I imagine him aligning himself with Sha Samuels and Martin Stone? Sure I can). Darkside would also be an amazing winner, especially after the superhuman display he gave last year; it would also open very interesting scenarios in case Chris Renfrew won the title from Drew Galloway (although I kinda think he won't). BT Gunn would give life to an even more interesting situation with Renfrew as champion, but the cage match against Wolfgang will definitely have an impact on him. Other names are Mark Coffey (unless he gives us a Coffey vs Coffey Iron Man match, awesome prospect by the way), Wolfgang (if he survives BT Gunn), Martin Stone, Sha Samuels... but I'll go with JACK JESTER. After dropping the title to Drew Galloway he disappeared, and this would be the perfect time and the perfect way to restart his climb to the top of ICW.

The Royal Rumble and Square Go are both offering multiple possible winners. The Square Go especially. I'll start with the Royal Rumble. Roman Reigns is being made to "look strong" but his current program with Big Show is, for lack of a better term, filler. Big Show is not a credible opponent anymore and has lost to wrestlers, boxers and even sumo wrestlers. Reigns is very weak on the microphone and the way he is being pushed down fans throats the WWE are in position to create another John Cena. I don't mean as a money spinner, I mean as a hated babyface. If I was to pick, I'd choose Daniel Bryan. The guy has been out the majority of the year yet he is still getting a pop when ever he's on screen. I'd even be happy to see Bryan vs Cena at WrestleMania over Reigns vs Lesnar. Bryan vs Lesnar would be an interesting concept also.

Now the Square Go. My mind can't escape one scenario and that's BT Gunn winning. Here's my theory. The cage match to open the Square Go. Wolfie gets his revenge on BT and Gunn is carried out. None of his NAK brethren are there to help. The Square Go is the semi main event, before Galloway vs Renfrew. Gunn comes out middle of the pack, bandaged and battered. It goes down to him, Darkside and Nathan Black. While Black and Darkside are trying to eliminate each other, Gunn dumps them both over the top rope. Darkside is visibly annoyed but is fine enough as the NAK have the title shot. During the main event, Divers and Darkside help Renfrew defeat Galloway. Drew batters Divers and Darkside post match and BT Gunn comes down for the save with Renfrews briefcase. A stand off between Drew, BT and a cocky Renfrew. Gunn then launches the case at Renfrew's head and shouts for a referee. Leaving the Square Go the new ICW Champion. Wishful thinking? Aye maybe.

A lot of love for BT Gunn emerging here. Last but not least we have Stuart Wevling, ICW, Battle Royal and Giant Gonzalez fan:

Battle Royals always have a special place in my heart. The Rumble was my favourite event growing up and that was only enhanced in 93 with the awesomeness of Giant Gonzalez.

Having not watched WWE recently I can only go on what I've read online so I'd predict a win for Roman Reigns.

As for the Square Go, I reckon this is Grado's year (assuming he's in it).

Thank you all for taking part. If anyone wants to be included in the next one of these themed articles, let me know on the contact details above. Before we go, one look at what it's all about, why 30 men will be putting their life on the line in the Square Go, why Chris Renfrew has held off for a year to prove he doesn't need underhanded tactics, the person they are all chasing - the current ICW Heavyweight champion, Drew Galloway.